


Clothing Conundrum

by Deepest



Category: Trolls (2016), Trolls: The Beat Goes On (Cartoon)
Genre: Broppy is implied but it's also obvious, F/M, Fashion Disaster Branch, Festivals, Flower Crowns, Flowers, Fluff, Humor, It's All Very Sweet, Party Decorations, Queenly Duties, Satin and Chenille are personally offended, Spring, Trolls Exhibiting Troll Behavior
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-14
Updated: 2018-09-14
Packaged: 2019-07-12 09:28:05
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,170
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15992405
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Deepest/pseuds/Deepest
Summary: Troll Village has three festivals to celebrate over Spring. Each one this year has been very well attended, and all around successful.Satin and Chenille tell Queen Poppy about the one place the End-Spring Festival has room for improvement.AKA: Branch has no nice clothes and the Fashion Twins are outraged.





	Clothing Conundrum

"Poppy,"  
"We need to talk."

The troll queen looked up from where she'd been organizing string streamers of different colors and levels of glitter-intensity into barrels. Satin and Chenille stood a little way away. Their twin faces glimmering in unison with the flush of something they found bothersome.

Poppy beamed at them anyway, not stopping her fidgeting with the fresh box of streamers she'd just opened. This batch was of a pretty sky blue, and modestly dusted through with glitter. It would go in a new barrel all it's own. "What about, guys?"

"About the festival in two days time," It was Chenille who answered. She and her sister, trolls through and through, admired the sparkly strands as Poppy tangled them through her fingers. "And about a certain..."  
"...Problem?"  
"Mistake?"  
"Erm... Divergence that we'd rather prevent."

Poppy had to chortle a bit. "Wow, you both sound so formal. What could go so horribly wrong at the End-Spring festival? Do I need to send out, what," She seemed to struggle to say the words without laughing, "Some police or something?"

"The fashion police, maybe!" Satin snapped her fingers. At this, and the sharp bark of her tone, Poppy blinked.

"The problem isn't with the festival Poppy," Chenille pat her queens arm reassuringly. "Every festival this year has been better and better than the last!"  
"The problem is with your..." Satin let out an indecisive noise, like a creak or a whine, "Your Branch."  
"Yes, your Branch."

"What, Branch?" Poppy let the string streamers disengage from her hands to settle them on her hips, with a few shiny stragglers. "Branch shouldn't be wearing anything outrageous. He'll wear what he always wears!"

"That's the problem!" The twins protested at once.  
"The End-Spring festival,"  
"ALL the Spring Festivals,"  
"Have always been attended with the invitees wearing the prettiest clothes in their closets!"

The twins suddenly popped open a think binder in the queens nose, the spine of it bending under the weight of all it's photographs and clippings. Pictures taken from the First-Spring-Day festival and the Mid-Spring festival, respectively, managed to tumble into her lap. All contained attendee trolls smiling widely at the camera in their Festival Best. Flowery dresses, bright-colored shorts, breezy overalls...

"And Branch,"  
"Doesn't own,"  
"Pretty clothes,"

"AT ALL." They finally finished, their glittery cheeks well and truly flushed. From frustration at what had evidently been pestering them greatly or from the embarrassment of finally admitting it, it was impossible to know.  
Poppy did also think she saw some sweet little drops of moisture dampening their perfectly lined eyes at the corners.

"Girls, girls, easy!" Poppy placated them by giving them both a loving hug. "I get where you're coming from. I know the End-Spring festival is the most important one of all, but..." She took in the twin's shared pouts of disapproval at what Poppy was sure was the memory of the grumpiest trolls tattered old garments.   
Visions swam in Poppy's head of dirty shorts and old, old leaves twined into what resembled a vest. She blinked them away.  
"Well... I want to know why you didn't say anything sooner. If it bothered you that much at the first Spring Festival, then..."

"We were trying to give you the benefit of the doubt," Chenille raised up her chin, looking haughty and somber.  
"Waiting for you to have a talk with him." Satin reiterated.

"Me?" Poppy fluttered her hands about. "Wh- Satin, Chenille, you guys can't ask me to protest Branch's decisions! It's... well it wouldn't be right for me to do that as his friend!" She'd attempted to bring it up. And the utter boredom and indifference about the subject he'd displayed shut her up more than any harsh scolding or wilderness-survival drivel could have.

"As Branch's... whatever, you should still feel obligated to help him, no?" Chenille gazed at her queen with hopeful eyes.  
"He's a fashion disaster!" Satin exclaimed, taking in a long, dramatic breathe before continuing, "We'd love more than anything to make him a new wardrobe!"

"So why don't you?" Poppy jumped in place, beaming encouragingly.

The twins exchanged a look.

"We're not you, Poppy."   
Chenille brushed a spot off on her dress, "You know how defensive Branch can be. You're the only person he can really listen to without taking something as an insult."

Poppy wilted. "He's not that bad, is he? I thought he'd stopped being all..." She pulled a Branch face, clawing at the air in front of her "Grrrr..."

"He's... not."  
"He's just..." They sighed together. 

And thus was launched an entire tirade of sad admittance. So much that Poppy's head pivoted back and forth between them as though she were watching them play ping pong.

"...he's just got this way of making us feel bad anyway."  
"We don't think he does it on purpose, but,"  
"He looks like a scolded puppy."  
"Like... we could offend him, and then he'd start acting all friendly and too chatty,"  
"Like he suddenly has to try harder to be happy." Satin, Poppy gladly noticed, seemed genuinely upset about the fact.  
"Sometimes he just. Leaves." Chenille fussed with the roots of her hair for a bit, eyes at the floor. "Makes up some excuse and walks away like he's about to get all his hair shaved off." Satin shuddered.   
"Those are the worst times... I always feel like such a horrible person."

"When would he do something like that?" Poppy asked, interested and concerned. She'd never seen him dejected before. She'd hate to be the troll inflicting that. She'd also hate to be the troll who doesn't notice when her friend is hurting.

"Like when we'd say he has terrible clothes." Chenille shrugged. "That's just a guess."  
"It's why we haven't said anything."

Poppy sighed. Not knowing how to solve the problem her friends had presented to her. So she decided to do her Poppy thing and find the bright side.  
"Look, girls, it sounds to me like Branch is just living his best life!" Poppy made sure her happy hop and outstretched arms displayed all the hope she could muster. "We should try to be encouraging about that!"

The twins looked conflicted.

"But he looks so, so,"  
"Awful!"

"And that's," Poppy's eye twitched as she gave both her friends a sunny smile and another warm hug, imaging Branch strolling through the village during the festival two days from now. Patched shorts just fitting over his hips by knotted twine, and leaf vest sticky with whatever work he'd furiously subjected himself to for the past... twenty years...

"His decision."

 

 

The End-Spring FlowerFestival was a day of laughing and dancing and sharing out the last of the Spring crops.   
Of singing mournful songs of farewell to the multitude of flowers that had greeted the trolls every day when they'd stepped outside.  
And singing joyful songs for the hot summer days of cold swimming splashes, lakeside bashes and water balloon fights that were coming their way!

Stalls sold seeds for summer crops that had been on reserve since the year prior.  
And there were clusters of bustle in the crowd, folks making their around those trolls who were finding each other to gift fresh-made flower garlands and crowns, and to braid and decorate each others hair with daisies.

The flowers were scarce, ironically, at the End-Spring Flower Festival. And so Queen Poppy found it was her duty to supply and regulate the outflow of flowers so that everybody could enjoy them to their fullest.

Luckily for Poppy since Satin and Chenille had left two days before she'd been a little too busy to dwell on NOT NICE thoughts about Branch's TOTALLY OKAY clothing. As his friend, she was going to not say anything.  
Even if it was out of concern.  
For his own well-being, of course.

I mean, what troll feels totally alright wearing rags all the time? Surely if Poppy could find a way to convince Branch to change it up, he'd find himself so much more comfortable. Feel a little more like the happy, regular troll he wants so badly to be.

No. No. Poppy was going to be a good friend and let him decide for himself what to wear. Even to important events like this festival. It didn't bother her.  
It didn't.

It did. But Poppy was going to suck it up for Branch!

"Poppy!"  
"There you are!"

Speaking of, Poppy perked up at the sweet sounds of her fashion-forward friends as they made their way up to her little vantage point.  
The twins, smiling cheerfully, were wearing a pair of bright, flowery yellow dresses. The color of Spring itself.

"I love your dresses, girls!" She gushed as they posed. "What is that, daffodil?"

"It is!"  
"And a daisy hem!"

Poppy applauded as they twirled. "What can I do for you two?"

"We just wanted to thank you, and say congrats!" Satin bounced in place.

"Thank you!" Poppy bounced back, laughing joyously. "Now what for?"

"For talking to Branch,"  
"He looks so much better!"  
"And now we can enjoy the festival even more!" Chenille squeezed her sister in a hug. And together, they both rushed forward to envelop Poppy in the embrace as well.

Standing in silence as they released her, Poppy waved at their leaving on autopilot. She even forgot to say "You're welcome."   
But she hadn't talked to Branch. Not about his outfit. When had she the chance? She'd seen him only a couple of times over the past two days, and both times she'd furiously ignored his ensemble and stared directly at his face, unflinchingly.

Had he really changed his outfit today? Poppy was the color of curiosity. That is, pink.

She abandoned her station with a quick instruction to "Go easy on the tulips!" and wandered the crowd in the direction Satin and Chenille came, looking for a head of dark cobalt hair.

She was met with trolls bowing and cheering and gifting her with little posies of flowers as she passed. She found Biggie, who was impossible to miss, weaving together pretty crowns of Lily of the Valley. After giving his massive arm a happy hug in greeting, he congratulated her on a successful festival and placed a flower crown on her head.

She also met Guy Diamond and DJ, who were busy tossing petals into the air from a T-Shirt cannon. The Queen took a moment to dance and prance in the fluttering petals before going on her way again.

With no luck so far, and just as Poppy figured she should have stayed on top of her little hill for a better view, she was tapped on the shoulder by a calloused blue finger.

"Branch!" Caught up in excitement, Poppy wrapped him with a vice grip and squeezed, ignoring his shortness of breath. "I haven't seen you at all today! I was looking for you!"

"Missed you... too... Poppy... let go."

She was reluctant. But, abruptly remembering her visit from the twins, She released her friend and took a wide step back.

Green was still his color of choice. She wouldn't have expected Branch to suddenly start wearing electric blue or deep red or bright yellow. But the green he'd chosen for his brand new, neatly sewn and soft, clean-looking vest was a light and pretty shade. A spring color! And made of actual fabric, to boot!  
His shorts, too, were his typical brown. But the big difference was the distinct lack of different swatches, patches and random sewn-over holes. The new shorts were cut stylishly and, Poppy had to admit, flatteringly.

"Branch." She found her voice and met his gaze. With a start, she noticed for the first time how uncomfortable he looked. His face was a tad flushed, and Poppy had to only guess that he'd had multiple compliments today already. That was just troll nature.  
Her smile, she felt, was already beaming in his direction, but she widened it anyway and took him by the hand. "Did you do something different? Is it your hair? You styled it, didn't you?"

Branch puffed out a little laugh, and Poppy reminded herself to have some extra sweets later on as a personal reward. Her friend looked happy and relieved. "Yes, I used some of that mousse you know I hate but put in my bathroom anyway."

Poppy gave him another hug, pressing their cheeks together. This time, Branch placed an arm across her shoulders. "It looks great." And felt great. Poppy lengthened the hug, enjoying the soft new feeling of his vest.

She giggled as, after a moment, she felt something tickling her scalp. Branch playing with her flower crown?  
No. Branch gently removed himself from the hug and admired something in her hair. Feeling around, Poppy felt what he'd put there. A sweet little string of daisies!

She laughed and dragged him off in search of Biggie. When she was done, Branch was gonna be dressed in so many flowers he'd buckle under the weight.

And then he'd never change out of his new clothes!


End file.
